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One of the main tools in the proof of residual-based a posteriori error estimates is a quasi-interpolation operator due to Clément. We modify this operator in the setting of a partition of unity with the effect that the approximation error has a local average zero. This results in a new residual-based a posteriori error estimate with a volume contribution which is smaller than in the standard estimate. For an elliptic model problem, we discuss applications to conforming, nonconforming and mixed finite element methods.
Carsten Carstensen (1999) studied this question.